


Merry & Bright

by Dodi3



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Babysitting but Chat, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Tree Chaos, Cold Weather, Cuddling & Snuggling, Drabble Collection, F/M, Festivals, Fluff, Identity Reveal, Manon isn't a brat for once, Miraculous Ladybug Love Square
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-21
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:08:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,485
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28222170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dodi3/pseuds/Dodi3
Summary: Drabbles I hope to have done by Christmas! Posted every day? Maybe. Hopefully. Actually...I don't know.Contains love-square stuff!
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 3
Kudos: 14





	1. Marichat

**Author's Note:**

> Here's to the start of something good!

"Manon! Manon, wait!" Marinette watched in mild surprise at the child's seemingly endless source of energy as she ran wild in their recently-decorated living room.

The young girl had apparently wanted to meet a particular leather-clad superhero for a long time. And, despite the nagging feeling that this plan would drive straight into a dumpster (eventually), Marinette ignored her better judgment and decided to go for it for the sake of Christmas.

Manon ran around the couch and ducked past a mini Christmas tree, deep in some fantasy where minors could fly airplanes. The ravenette's gaze focused on the stairs leading up to her room, waiting for a cat that had no idea what would hit him.

"Marinetteeee, when is he gonna come? Can't we just wait for him in your room?" 

The ravenette shook her head fondly, unrelenting to the way the young girl's look of question shifted into a scowl. She crouched to give proper eye contact.

"We have to wait for him down here, so he doesn't hear us! You wouldn't want him to run away, would you?"

Mari got the reaction she wanted when Manon's eyes widened. 

"No! He wouldn't really do that, would he?" 

"Well," Marinette booped her nose, "Chat doesn't know you're here, but he probably won't. He's a good kitty."

Manon opened her mouth to speak once again when a thud from above cut her off. 

They wandered for a moment before ceasing. "Marinette?"

The ravenette stared over at the girl she was babysitting for the evening and nearly snorted in a fit of laughter. Manon looked like she was about to explode, looking at Mari with goggled eyes and switching between the soles of her feet.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" The girl ran to her stairs without any further prompting, and Marinette followed behind. "Just don't ruin the wreaths!"

Only Mari's head poked into her room as she watched Manon fling the door open, observing as Chat stood up from his perch on the chaise. The smile he held quickly shifted into one of confusion as he took in this girl that wasn't Mari. 

"You're...not-"

"CHAT NOIR!!" 

The cat hero yelped as Manon jumped forwards to cling to his leg, much to his honest surprise.

Marinette, failing at keeping the straightest face she could, erupted into bubbly laughter as she climbed into her room and gently fastened the aperture behind her. 

"Oh wow, didn't expect to see you here, Chat." 

The blonde's eyes narrow in feigned ire. "Funny, considering I come here every week, Princess." His attention swayed to Manon as he noticed her pout.

"And who do we have here?" Crouching to meet her height, the kid's frown melted in the warmth of the fond smile Chat sent her. 

"I'm Manon! I can't believe you're actually here! And why are you so cold?"

As if remembering something, the blonde shook from head to toe, and Mari could see frost fly from the strands.

She eyes him with mild disdain. "How long have you been out there?" 

"Well...long enough?" His eyes widen as Marinette's glare turns withering, both completely oblivious to Manon's stare shifting between the two of them.

"...Can I go on the balcony with Chat?"

"Yeah!" Chat says, ever eager to turn Marinette’s attention away from him.

"No." Mari states simultaneously.

They stare at each other for a moment before he makes the first move, lifting a giggling Manon for a piggyback and dodging Marinette while he races up her steps.

"I'm the one babysitting her, Chat!"

"And the first rule of babysitting is to always give the child what they want!" He blows her a kiss before opening the door to her balcony, taking care to watch Manon's head as they make their escape.

A few minutes later, the ravenette paces at the bottom of her steps, deciding how to execute Chat in the quietest way possible. If not done perfectly, she'd most likely kindle Paris' rage.

Sighing in defeat, she knows she never could (nor would) be able to do it. 

Her footfalls are steady and her movements slow as she eases the trapdoor open. A chill immediately welcomes her, but she quickly dismisses it in the beauty of the scene before her.

Chat's busy playing some sort of game with Manon, having seated her carefully on the black iron railing. They're pointing at things related to Christmas, like the lights strung across the Seine or the carolers and their voices, imbuing any hearts willing to listen.

One ear pivots Mari's way and he turns to her with a long grin.

"Done pouting?"

"For now," she walks up to his left side, letting him inch closer as she relishes the view. "You're spared."

"Thank you. And before I knew that I'd be the gift for Manon," he pokes the little girl's side when she does the same to him, "I came to wish you a Merry Christmas."

She's still for a moment, catching his eye before leaning back with a smile. Only Chat would take time out of his day to do something so small.

It meant a lot.

"Merry Christmas, Chat."


	2. Ladynoir

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This next ship twisted into something that isn't much of a drabble anymore.
> 
> I had plenty of fun with this one though, and I hope you enjoy reading as much as I did writing <3

_Ring, ring, ring._

It's all Ladybug can hear as her eyes fly wide, mind still hazy as she emerges from the depths of sleep. 

Her upper body is folded over her crossed legs. A thrill runs down her spine when she moves for the first time in what's felt like _years_. 

The heroine can only recall sitting in the crisp, nippy winds, hearing the Christmas carols rise from the avenues below. She loves the cold but her ladybug tendencies have been interfering a lot more often; she's found herself always seeking the warmest places, her energy levels drained quicker as winter settled over Paris.

  
  


_Ring...ring...ring._

The chime trickles into her ears and flicks a switch in her brain. After hearing it over a dozen times, in her subconscious and for the few seconds she's been awake, Ladybug finds it terribly annoying.

It needs to stop.

She shakes her head, sitting up slowly but with a cool steadiness she only uses when she's dead set on a goal. 

  
  


A dark figure materializes in front of her, and Ladybug blinks away the final tendrils of drowsiness. 

The source of the sporadic ringing belongs to a bell. And the bell, belongs to Chat. 

Sitting against a chimney, his eyelashes dip in a chaffing wink. She pays it no heed, instead glaring at him when his claws continue to flick at the golden sphere.

"It's nice you're finally joining me, M'lady."

  
  


"I think you're the one joining me." She snorts, an eye-roll coming intrinsically. "I thought I'd be patrolling tonight? And for the love of God, stop that."

Chat looks affronted. "Taking it upon myself to bless you with my presence, I didn't expect to be treated like this, Bugaboo," he teases, only changing the tune of the instrument.

Each echoing jingle drills inside her head. There's a smile shaping his partner's lips and even though they're both silent, Ladybug understands.

He's _testing_ her. 

  
  


"Chat." The ravenette shifts so that she's crouching, making sure the threat bleeds into her tone They've been a duo for so long, their amity so great, they read each other with ease. So he knew her signs.

Yet, the boy only replies with another wink, another note to add to the melody of her ire. "What? No Christmas s- _purr-_ it, LB?"

Lunging at her partner, Ladybug hears a faint thud as his back goes perpendicular with the chimney. Her right hand moves to pin him there while the other reaches for his bell. The chiming has stopped, but she plans to end it permanently—and Ladybug would happily watch it burn in a fire at this point.

Too hyperfocused to monitor anything but her progress at getting to Chat's collar, Ladybug's grip loosens.

  
  


And he catches her wrist, watching her face as it rises to meet his. She lifts the hand set on his shoulder and he grabs that too, sporting a cock-a-hoop grin.

There's a glint in his slitted pupils that speak louder than words ever could at that moment, bright and green and _frisky_. 

This was a game to him.

Then, Ladybug realizes in that moment, just how close she is. How close she is to him, his eyes, his space. She's practically strewn over him like tangled string, a black and red jumble of limbs, and the girl has no idea how he managed to find her hands so easily in the midst of her chaos.

  
  


The cat picks up on her realization, taking advantage of it like he always does, his nature too roguish to let such an opportunity pass.

"I never thought I'd see the day where you fell for me, M'lady." 

Something slinks over her calf and Ladybug's head turns to see his tail. It curls the same way water does—uncontrolled, flexible. Its presence raises a silent question, and when the heroine looks forward she can see it in Chat's gaze too.

On any normal occasion, Ladybug would refuse. The stars had been up for a while, so her best excuse could've been how her parents expected her home. Or how homework waited on her desk, untouched for hours.

  
  


There were things—more productive things—she could've been doing right now.

Ladybug didn't know if it was due to the warmth Chat was exuding, and her inner want to simmer in it, or the Christmas spirit that had just now set into her bones. Whatever force it was, the girl didn't even bother to argue, flopping against his chest. 

She catches a gasp from him, limbs falling to her side as he releases her wrists. His arms hang awkwardly at his sides, clearly aghast at the sudden drop in professionalism.

"Ladybug...? Are you o–"

  
  


"Would you mind if we just stayed like this?" Her voice is muffled, but she can't bring herself to care. "Just don't let it get to your head." 

There's a moment of silence, before Ladybug hears (and definitely feels) him purr. 

"You're a bit too late for that," he coos, and then, "can I hug you?"

The superheroine remembers a distinct conversation where the duo shared more...personal things than usual. And after a sheepish admission, she learned that Chat was a bit touch-starved. 

  
  


Her actions tonight have definitely awakened that nerve. But she's cold and he's warm and he's helping her get warm, so...why not return the favor?

A furious blush rises to her cheeks, and Ladybug closes her eyes against it. She has no idea _why_ she's acting like this, why today had to be different than any other day.

"Fine."

"Really?" His tone rises at the end, like this is a joke and he's expecting her to take it back.

  
  


She doesn't.

"...Mhm." The answer is short, barely even a reply at all. Ladybug isn't used to not being the one in control, the one who knows exactly how things are going to plan out.

Chat Noir bends his arms under her in an embrace. It's desperate and passionate all the same, like the boy is trying to pour all his heartfelt emotion into the gesture. She can feel them both relax, settle into the natural bond that stretches far beyond their years.

Hugging him back, the heroine makes a personal note to show her partner more attention, even through the smallest of touches. She can't take him for granted. Chat's her partner, her best friend, her complete and unrivaled equal. The only one who truly understands what they go through.

  
  


For minutes that feel like hours, it's simply them. 

As they lay, a bell rings again in the distance, its hollow echoes marking the start of something just a bit better.


	3. Ladrien

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finished a bit later than I planned...but here it is! One more "drabble" to go!

"Adrien Agreste, this is a kidnapping."

The boy very nearly screamed atop his mattress, at the abrupt lilt of a voice in his room that had otherwise been quiet only seconds ago.

Now, Adrien wasn't much of a screamer but he still lost hold of his phone, felt it drop into his sheets and untouchable depths beyond. It seemed to have vaporized on the spot, leaving the blonde to deal with the intruder alone.

"W-what?" Adrien looked towards the place he had last heard them, his throat closing up when he spotted their slim figure. Despite being barely illuminated by the waxing gibbous outside, the blonde was keen enough to notice the silhouette reach for something at its hip.  
  
A low laugh filled the room, and Adrien ran through a list of all the things he could've done wrong to someone, all the people he could've hurt to deserve this.

And, not to be boastful or anything, but the boy couldn't come up with a single one.

"No worries," they said, "we'll just be heading out for a bit."

Clearing his throat, Adrien's words sounded like he dragged them over a chalkboard. "Can...may I make a request t-to _not_ be kidnapped, please?"  
  
An eruption of giggles answered the question for him, and he was hit by something _familiar._

"Request denied," the person quipped, throwing an object at Adrien that wrapped around him like yarn. He was tugged forward off his bed, and by some magical force of nature, didn't fall flat as he came face-to-face with his kidnapper.

She had bluebell eyes. A button nose. The dim moonlight softened her contours, highlighting the amused curve of her eyebrows and the fluid shape of her lips. 

"My eyes are up here, handsome," she chided with a keen glint in her eye, and Adrien knew he'd already be lunging for her if he wasn't trussed up like chicken.  
  
The blonde opened his mouth to reply but Ladybug lived up to her promise, replacing the yoyo with her arm. She twirled it for a few seconds before launching it through the open window Adrien had just noticed outside.

He clung to her shoulders as the wind ran between them, summoning goosebumps along his skin. It didn't feel like long before Ladybug set them down on a roof, rubbing his back before pulling away. 

Adrien stared at her questioningly, before the heroine's gaze flitted between him and the streets below. 

His eyes widened as he took in the avenue, lit up by fantastically ethereal lights, and the civilians wandering below. Shops' doors were open and many people had taken it upon themselves to set up along the street's sidewalk, hosting games and selling treats that permeated the chilly air.  
  
Not too far away Adrien saw other neighboring streets acting similar, utilizing Christmas lights to lead others along the winding maze of cheer.

Everything was just so merry and bright.

"I heard it was a pretty big group, that planned all of this," Ladybug said in his peripheral. "When our group chat got the message that your father wouldn't let you come with us.."

This time he did look at her, the girl's face turning into one of frustration. "I decided to screw whatever the hell Gabriel said. You deserve to enjoy yourself. Who sulks in their home during Christmas?" Ladybug rolled her eyes, as if she had to do /something/ in order to release her ire. "He might, but...you always find the good in things, Adrien. And this time you won't be alone."  
  
The boy couldn't speak. For a moment, he couldn't think either. 

"Mari..," he started, not quite sure how to continue. It got difficult to describe his feelings in words; even then, would it be enough? Enough to tell her how his chest had become an oven, warm because of her care? 

The short answer: no, it wouldn't.

But he had to say something, if not to assure her that he was still responsive, albeit barely.  
  
Adrien focused on her, hoping she could see the sincere gratitude burgeoning from his heart. "Thank you, so much."

Marinette raised a hand to her face, a futile attempt to hide the blush simmering on her cheeks.

Cute.

"It's the least I could do, Adrien." She glanced down at the street, pupils darting at the action below. "Ready to go?"  
  
"Almost."

"Almost?" 

"Won't we be...recognized? You'll probably be fine, considering most people respect you from a distance, but remember the last run-in with my fans?"

At that, the heroine pretended to shiver. A grin curved his lips at their expense, the memory practically haunting.  
  
"Yeah, no." Ladybug peered at her yoyo before pressing the center spot. With a mechanical whir it opened, rosy light spilling from the tool. She only dipped two fingers into the gaping void before pulling out small apparel. "This time I came prepared."

A step forward and the ravenette entered his space, something he wasn't complaining about, readjusting a beanie in her hands. Red and green were the first colors Adrien saw, the colors sewn in a way that could've only been handmade.

"It looks amazing." He sloped forward, pecking her forehead after she tugged it over his head.

"And here's the glasses." Ladybug's voice came lightly, trying her best to remain calm despite him intentionally tugging at her strings.  
  
He set them on, sending her a smirk through rose-tinted lenses. "Now they'll never know a thing."

"If you cut your charming act, it'll be guaranteed."

Adrien pouted. "But you love my charming act."

The boy watched with curious interest as Marinette, world's best heroine and his love, trailed her fingers down his arm. She left his skin tingling in the descent, his nerves ever-responsive when it came to her.  
  
Mari lifted his wrist to meet her lips, pleasantly cool. It was a move he played so many times before, but actually having it done to him? Well, she got the satisfaction of watching her beau crumble, face alight with heat and basically trembling under her touch.

"I do love it, but I don't want anyone else to see it. Is that so wrong?" Marinette rubbed Adrien's knuckles, casually wreaking havoc inside him.

"N-no, not wrong at all."

Taking a step back, she threw a wink his way. "I have a surprise for you, after this." Adrien took in the way the lights from the lower street made her eyes glow. Were they always like that? She held out her hand. "Ready for the festival?"  
  
He held her without a shred of hesitation. "With you? I'm ready for anything."


	4. Adrienette

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!
> 
> Here's the finale!

"The Christmas tree looks a bit crooked."

"Crooked? No, you're lying."

"If you stand right here though, you can see-"

"Adrien Agreste, as a person who's been designing for three years, and has /experience/, I can very much tell you that that isn't crooked."

"...I love it when you sass me."

"Adrien!"

Marinette dives at him with all the strength her body possesses. He catches her easily, albeit stumbling a few steps back at the sudden weight.

"Are you serious?" 

"Completely and totally, M'lady."

She screws up at the nickname, a beautiful expression that's seared into his mind like a brand, permanent and emotive. 

"You know what? I'm not dealing with you today. Let go."

The answer comes easily, so much so it doesn't require an ounce of thought. "No."

Marinette glares up at him—the perfect picture of endearing in his arms—before trying to pull away by stepping backward. She only tugs him forwards, curled around her in a gentle grip. 

"For the love of—AAAH!" His girlfriend trips and fails to catch herself, ultimately bringing them both down. Acting on natural, protective instinct, Adrien twists so that his back lands on the ground first, with Mari safely curled atop him.

The impact takes away his air for a moment, but it means nothing compared to her physical wellbeing, out of harm's way and not flattened into a Marinette-shaped pancake.

"You okay?" He coos, picking himself up so he's resting on his elbows and meeting her eyes.

They're wide, as if still taking in the last few seconds. Then, she dips forwards so that her chin meets his chest, lips curved into a flustered smile. "Yeah, thank you."

A kiss to his collarbone sends titillations rocketing every which way, and Adrien's about to return the gesture when he notices something move in his peripheral.

"Oooh no," he whines, "here comes the tree."

"The...tree?" Marinette sends him a look, a moment before the Christmas tree plummets, landing on her back. The ornaments would've spilled everywhere if they were on the tree, but they hadn't started on the decorating, much to their luck.

A mess of limbs and artificial branches, Adrien can't help but guffaw at their situation. The blonde sees Mari narrow her eyes at him before eventually joining in too, their laughs like jingle bells on a merry winter night.

"Well," Adrien's mouth turns into a smirk, and he shuffles under the weight of her and their Christmas tree. "It's definitely crooked now."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will be the last thing I post for this year. Every single one was fun to write, and it seems that plenty of you enjoyed it as well! Thank you <3
> 
> I hope you guys are having fun with your family members or friends, and stay safe! 2021 is almost hereee 💖


End file.
